


Beyond the Sea

by ArtificialEevee



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: Adore is stranded from her pod, F/F, Jinkx is friendly, Oops, Tags will update with chapters, and that's probably not general audiences, and then things get complicated, mermaid au, they fall in love, updated to teen because i forgot Adore swears a lot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2019-05-02 21:23:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14553819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtificialEevee/pseuds/ArtificialEevee
Summary: A lonely mermaid meets a tired human girl, and the two fall in love.Of course, it ends up being a bit more complicated than that.Originally posted on ArtificialQueens. Undergoing massive rewrites.





	1. The Beach at Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ginny walked the beach lazily. It was a cool fall night, no one else was there. Ginny didn’t mind that, she was happy to be alone with her thoughts. She hummed to herself, happy to walk in the moonlight. It had been another long, long, day of classes, and she was tired of being around people. She was just tired in general.   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Adore was bored. She was lonely and bored. She wasn’t fond of being either. She decided she might as well head to the beach, maybe there would be something of interest there.   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Virginia sat on the sand, looking at the moon and stars reflected in the water. She felt her eyes grow heavy, and she dozed off before she could try and do much about it.   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Adore looked over the beach, her beach really, and sighed. There didn’t seem to be anything here. She turned to leave when she spotted something bright orange, it was a person, their hair fiery and lovely in the moonlight. Adore moved closer cautiously. Were they, were they asleep? “Hello?” Adore called out, almost without thinking.   
  
Ginny’s head snapped up. “I’m awake!” She yelped, a reflex. She looked around. Someone had said something, hadn’t they? But she didn’t see anyone on the beach. “Is someone there?”  
  
Adore bit her lip. She could leave, she should leave really, but something about this girl was calling her. “Turn around.” She said finally.   
  
Virginia blinked in confusion, but turned. There, in the water, was a girl who looked about her age. Her hair was long and a beautiful teal colour, and even from where Ginny was on the beach, she could see stunning green eyes looking at her. The girl in the water grinned at her. “Um, hello. What are you doing in the water this late?” Ginny asked.   
  
Adore smirked. “I’m a goddamn mermaid.” She didn’t know if the girl would believe her, but either way it seemed to be the only thing she could say.   
  
Ginny laughed. “You must be, I don’t see any clothes anywhere near here, how far away did you get in the water? Do you need help finding your stuff?” The ginger had moved to the edge of the water, looking at the girl in the ocean with concern.   
  
Adore shook her head. “Nah.” She swam closer to the shore, still mostly underwater, but she raised an arm. Beautiful blue scales glittered along the back of her arm, a fin extending from her wrist to her elbow. “Like I said. I’m a mermaid.” She ran her fingers through her hair, tugging a bit of seaweed out.   
  
Virginia stared at her in awe. “Holy shit,” was all the human could think to say. The mermaid laughed, and Ginny could swear it sounded like music. “Who- how- what?” The ginger stuttered, not quite coherent.   
  
“Adore, I dunno, and mermaid.” Adore answered, smirking. “Who are you? What are you doing here so late?”  
  
Ginny took a deep breath. This was happening, whatever this was. “Um, Virginia. Virginia Monsoon. Friends call me Ginny. Was taking a walk to clear my head.” She shook her head. “Adore. That’s such a pretty name.” Virginia blushed, some combination of confused and charmed by this woman in the water.   
  
“Ginny? Hmm. Not what I’d choose for you.” Adore said pensively. “It’s not a very mer name.”  
  
“But I’m not a mermaid.” Virginia pointed out.   
  
Adore waved a hand. “Right, fuck, getting ahead of myself. But you are cute.” The mermaid was in the shallows now, tail visible in the water, glistening in every shade of blue. She had delicate stripes running from her spine to wrap halfway around her tail in the darkest navy and the palest cyan, all against a stunning sapphire background. She wrung her hair out a bit, letting it fall around her.

Ginny was positive her face was redder than her hair now, she was blushing so hard. She looked at Adore more closely, she was stunning. She had what looked like seaweed woven into something like a bra around her chest, and there were pearls strung into her hair. Virginia suddenly realized she had stepped up close enough to reach out and touch the mermaid, and she raised a hand cautiously. “May I?” She asked, searching the green eyes that stared back at her.   
  
Adore joined her hand with Ginny’s. “Hell yeah.” The mermaid pulled the human towards her and kissed her, needing to feel the soft pink lips against her own.   
  
Virginia’s eyes went wide as Adore pulled her forward, but she relaxed into the kiss as soon as she realized what was happening. Adore’s lips were soft and salty, and Ginny loved it. She opened her mouth and the mermaid took advantage, causing Ginny to moan happily. When Adore pulled back, Ginny could barely remember how to breathe. “Ohmigod. Don’t faint, Jinkx, don’t faint…” she mumbled to herself. Adore quirked an eyebrow.  
  
“Jinkx?” She asked, feeling the strength of the name. “Now that’s a fucking mer name. Names have power, for us anyway. Like a sort of wish.”  
  
Jinkx blushed even brighter red. “Oh, Jinkx is sort of my nickname… I have pretty bad luck. I didn’t want you to think…” she trailed off, staring very intently at her boots. A small wave chose that moment to wash over the beach, just high enough to get into Jinkx’ boots. “Aw fuck.”  
  
Adore laughed. “Oh dear. Do you mind if I call you Jinkx? I think it’s cute.” The mermaid gently put her hand under Jinkx’ chin and tilted her face back up to look her in the eyes. Jinkx nodded. “Okay. Now, Jinkx, this might sound crazy, but. You wanna fucking, come with me?”  
  
Jinkx’ brow furrowed. “You mean, come swimming?”  
  
Adore bit her lip. That wasn’t exactly what she meant, but she might as well start slow. “If you want to, I mean. We could have fun.”  
  
Jinkx shook her head. “I can’t swim too well.”  
  
Adore lifted her tail to catch the moonlight. “I’ll make sure you’re okay.”  
  
Jinkx smiled. “Tomorrow, okay? I’ll come back with a swimsuit and a towel and stuff. We can swim then.”  
  
“Tomorrow night, please? People might be here in the day. I don’t want to be discovered. And… I am Adore Delano. My bloodline is of the night, that’s what it means.”  
  
Jinkx knew Adore had said names had power, for merfolk anyway, but… “If you don’t want to be found, why did you tell me, you know, that you’re a mermaid?”  
  
Adore blushed for the first time that Jinkx was aware. “I’m lonely. This beach is closed off by a reef, my pod was passing it when I got thrown in here by a wave. I was young then, too small to escape the current. I heard my pod, they found a scrap of my tail on the other side of the reef, they thought I had died. They’re long gone now.” Adore waved her tail again, there was a sizable tear in her tail fin, and Jinkx winced.   
  
“So you’re all alone? And you can’t get back?”  
  
“Maybe I could, but I’m nervous about leaving. There’s fish here, it’s easy to hunt, and the reef is far enough from the shore for me to be safe from humans here in the lagoon.” Adore shrugged. “I don’t really remember them so well. It’s been a long time.”  
  
“But your family… we have to get you back.” Jinkx decided. “I’ll help you find them.” Adore raised her eyebrows.  
  
“You, a girl who can’t swim, are going to help me, a mermaid, find a pod of mermaids who are very good at evading humans somewhere in the vastness of the ocean?” Adore asked.  
  
Jinkx huffed. She had a point. But Jinkx wasn’t one to back away from something she was determined to do. “I can learn to swim.” She answered lamely, and Adore laughed.   
  
“You’re cute. I’ll see you tomorrow, alright?” Adore plucked a scale off her arm, and pressed it into Jinkx’ palm.  
  
Jinkx curled her fingers around the shimmering scale. “What’s this for?” She clutched it tight in her hand, making sure she didn’t drop it.   
  
“Just- don’t lose it okay?” Adore couldn’t explain it, not yet. “Good night, Jinkx Monsoon.” She kissed Jinkx briefly and then was gone in the water.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 


	2. Time Apart

Jinkx paid little attention in classes the next day, thinking of Adore. She had put the scale into a locket, safely around her neck. Her hand was around the charm most of the day.   
  
When night finally fell, Jinkx wandered off to the beach again. She had a swimsuit on, and had a towel in her bag. She had sweats on over the bikini, and she had goggles tucked into the pocket of her hoodie. She kept her hand around her locket, smiling.   
  
Adore was in the shallows, singing quietly to herself. She was excited to see Jinkx again.  _“We’re not supposed to be meeting like this, but when we get close I know we’re gonna kiss.”_  
  
Jinkx heard Adore before she saw her. Her singing voice was even more magical than her laugh. And the words made her shiver, did Adore know she was there? No, she determined, as Adore stopped singing as soon as she spotted Jinkx.   
  
“You came back!” Adore called happily, hoping Jinkx hadn’t heard much.   
  
“Of course! You promise you won’t let me sink, right?” Jinkx asked, pulling off her sweats and putting her goggles on. She fiddled with the locket, and kept it on.   
  
“You’ll be safe with me.” Adore could see Jinkx’ necklace, and looked at it curiously. “What’s that?”  
  
Jinkx smiled. “Oh, it’s a locket. I put your scale in it so I won’t lose it.” She opened the clasp and showed Adore the shimmering blue scale, tucked into the heart shaped pendant. She closed the charm, making sure it was secure.   
  
Adore beamed at the human. A heart, maybe this girl was hers. “That’s so cool! Come on, let’s swim.”   
  
Jinkx bit her lip and waded into the water. Adore beckoned her forward. “I’m coming, I am. I just, the closest I’ve ever come to swimming was when my uncle pushed me off a log into a river.” She admitted, not fond of the memory. Adore swam up to her.   
  
“Take my hand, you’re safe with me, I promise.” She offered her hand to the girl, who took it without hesitation.   
  
“I trust you.” Jinkx assured. “I just need a minute, okay?” Adore nodded, squeezing her hand lightly. After a minute, Jinkx smiled. “I think I’m ready.”  
  
Adore gently pulled Jinkx into the water with her, and made sure she kept afloat. Jinkx was a quick learner, and managed to get the hang of swimming rather easily. The two danced in the water, splashed each other on the surface, and enjoyed the night.   
  
Jinkx returned to the beach every night, and she and Adore would swim or sing or talk, just to spend time together. The nights got colder, and the girls spoke of what winter was like for them.  
  
Then one night, Jinkx didn’t come.   
  
Two nights.  
  
Five.   
  
Ten. Adore was frantic. She hadn’t minded being alone, she really hadn’t, but she couldn’t stand it now. She couldn’t bear the thought of not seeing Jinkx again. Where was she?  
 _  
“This is how it ends, never meant to hurt you. I’m a pretty mess, and I don’t deserve you.”_  Her songs were sad now.   
  
 _“I adore you. I adore you. I adore you.”_  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jinkx hadn’t expected her mom to come pick her up for winter break, and she was happy to go home, but she hadn’t told Adore, she didn’t have a chance. Days passed, and though Jinkx was happy to see her family, she was afraid Adore would think she had left her. After a week and a half at home, she packed her things back up. She kissed her mom goodbye, making up some story about having an appointment she couldn’t miss. Her mom didn’t seem to buy it, but she let her go anyway.   
  
Jinkx hoped Adore would understand. Her heart ached while she was away from the mermaid.   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Adore was manic, where was Jinkx? Had she left her? Or did something happen to her? Where was her mate?  
  
It surprised her for a moment, to realize she thought of Jinkx as her mate, but it only made her sadder. She had found her mate, and she was gone.   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jinkx could swear she heard Adore wailing as soon as she stepped off the train. She got back to her dorm as quickly as she could and unceremoniously dumped her stuff on her bed. She dug out the gifts she had for Adore, did mermaids have Chanukah? Or Christmas? She didn’t care. She crammed the stuff into a backpack and sprinted to the beach.   
  
The closer she got, the louder the wailing got. It was Adore, she knew it. But why didn’t anyone else seem to hear her? When she could see the water in the distance, the words became clear.   
 _  
“When you turn it back, do you ever wonder? If we could have tomorrow in technicolor. And I’ve got so much left to say…”_  Adore’s words broke her heart.   
  
“Adore!” She yelled, but it was no use, she was still far from the beach.   
  
 _“‘Cause every time I see you, it’s like all I am is see-through, we were everything, I know it, don’t wanna miss it, record it. I adore you, I adore you…”_  
  
Jinkx ran faster.   
  
 _“The falling out was easy, but I hate that you don’t need me, and it gets so hard to speak, every time you get to me, ‘cause I adore you, I adore you, I adore you.”  
_  
Jinkx was crying, running faster than she ever had. Almost there!  
  
 _“Oooooooh, can’t you see that I adore you? No, nooooooooo, you’re miiiiiiiiiiine. I adore you.”_  
  
Jinkx leapt onto the beach, running to the edge of the water. “ADORE!!!” She screamed, tears streaming down her face.   
  
Adore’s voice abruptly stopped. Her eyes widened.  _“Jinkx?”_  It was a whisper, but it was almost deafening to the human.   
  
“Yes! I’m here!” Adore didn’t need to be told twice. She shot through the water, leaping out of the lagoon to land on the beach beside Jinkx.   
  
The ginger crushed her in a hug, sobbing. Adore held her as tightly. “You were GONE, I thought… I thought you left me.” The mermaid choked out, body shaking.   
  
“No, never. My mom picked me up for the holidays, I was at home. I could have stayed longer but I missed you. I would have told you I was going, but mom surprised me.” Jinkx laughed. “God, I would never leave you. I missed you so much, Dory.”  
  
Adore sniffled, looking Jinkx in the eyes. “You did?” Jinkx nodded. “And you really wouldn’t leave me?”  
  
“Of course I won’t! I love you, Adore.” Jinkx’ eyes sparkled, and she smiled at Adore.   
  
Adore felt something primal take hold of her. She pulled a scale off her arm, another, until she had a handful of them. Jinkx stared in confusion, then yelped as Adore started jabbing them into her skin.   
  
“Adore, what are you doing?!” Jinkx begged, but Adore just snarled, ripping off the girl’s jacket to expose more skin. “Adore, please, stop!” Jinkx tried to pull away, but Adore’s grip was like a vice.  
  
Adore couldn’t stop. She couldn’t lose Jinkx. She had jabbed dozens of her scales into Jinkx’ skin, but there was more she had to do. She yanked the human into a kiss, biting her own lip and letting her blood fall into Jinkx’ mouth. Jinkx swallowed it, too shocked to do anything else. “Mine.” Adore declared, the ritual complete.  
  
Jinkx blinked at her, she felt funny. “Adore? What did you do?” She asked, then collapsed on the sand. 


	3. Past the Reef

Jinkx woke with a pounding headache. She groaned, trying to curl up in a ball and go back to sleep. Her eyes shot open when she touched her knees. Rather, she tried to grab her knees, and her hands found scales. She looked down at herself. Shimmering scales in every shade of green she had ever seen, and maybe more, adorned her body from the navel down. She had a tail, like Adore's. She looked at her arms, she had fins! And- she was naked. All that was left on her was her bra. She looked around her and it sank in what had happened. "Adore?" She called, and the other mermaid was by her side in a moment. "Adore, why did you do this?"

Adore frowned, confused. "So we would be together." Adore shook her head. "You said you'd never leave, now you don't have to!"   
  
Jinkx felt her heart ache. "I didn't mean this, Adore." She thought of her family, she wouldn't see them again. She didn't mind as much as she thought she would, honestly. But she still hadn't wanted this.   
  
Adore's face fell. "But… but you heard me. You heard me sing. You came to my song! You said you love me! You wanted me, you did!"   
  
Jinkx felt conflicted. She did want Adore, more than anything. But she didn't like losing control. "I love you, Adore. You're the most amazing person I've ever met. But I didn't agree to this." She shook her head, seeing her hair dancing in the water. She saw pearls in her hair, had Adore woven them in? "Look, I need a minute. Where's my stuff?"   
  
Adore looked down, hurt. "On the beach still. I pulled you into the water for your transformation. I got you out of your clothes so they didn't hurt your tail or your fins. I didn't think to bring your bag."   
  
Jinkx nodded. She looked to the surface. "I'm going to get my things. Just, wait for a bit okay? I love you." Jinkx swam back to the beach. It was still night, and her backpack was still on the sand. She pulled herself onto the beach, and grabbed it. Adore was gonna have to share her gift now, she supposed.   
  
Adore was miserable. She hadn't wanted to upset Jinkx. But she couldn't change her back, and she hadn't even asked. She dug into the sand, wishing she could hide.   
  
"Adore? Look, I'm not mad. I have a gift!" Jinkx called, swimming back to the seafloor. She saw Adore huddled up on the sand, looking dejected. _"Adore, look at me."_ Jinkx said, and felt something in her voice she hadn't felt before. Adore turned to face her immediately. "Adore, I love you. But you can't do things without thinking like this. Okay?"   
  
Adore nodded. Jinkx had used her siren song on her, it had taken her years to find her own siren song. How did Jinkx have it so soon? "I love you too. I, well, I adore you."   
  
Jinkx laughed and opened her backpack. "Well, I bought you a bunch of bikini tops so you don't have to wear seaweed, but we're gonna have to share them now." The ginger pulled out a dozen bikini tops in shades of blues and greens. "They were supposed to match your tail and hair, but I think I'll have the green ones and you can have the blue. Sound good?" Jinkx swapped one of the swimsuits for her bra.   
  
"You got these for me?" Adore gasped, picking up one of the blue ones. She tore off her seaweed bra and put on the bikini. It was so much more comfortable, she was stunned. "I love it!"   
  
"I'm glad. I don't think I would have liked wearing seaweed." Jinkx laughed, her voice musical to Adore. The blue mermaid hugged her tight.   
  
"I love you, Jinkx." Adore kissed the new mermaid, wrapping their tails together.   
  
"Love you too." Jinkx nuzzled Adore's neck, not wanting to break apart ever.   
  
~*~*~*~*~   
  
Adore and Jinkx lived in the lagoon for a time, happy to be together. Jinkx remembered her promise, though.   
  
"Adore? Why don't we leave the lagoon? We can find your family." Jinkx asked, and Adore stared at her in shock.   
  
"Fuck, I had forgotten, honestly. You're my family now." Adore admitted, playing with Jinkx' hair.   
  
"But we can't stay in the lagoon forever. Someone will notice the two of us. My hair isn't exactly stealthy." Jinkx pointed out.   
  
So they prepared to leave the lagoon. Jinkx shoved all their belongings into her backpack, they didn't have much, but they weren't going to leave anything behind. "So how do we get through the reef?" Adore asked.   
  
"Well, we can't go over it, and I don't want to try and break through it, so maybe we can go around it?" Jinkx decided, and they found where the reef ended at the beach. "We can just go around it on the sand."   
  
~*~*~*~*~   
  
Adore and Jinkx dove into the ocean together. "Wow!" Jinkx marveled.   
  
"Yeah. I forgot how big it is." Adore sighed. "I wonder if we can find them, it's a big ocean."   
  
"We can do it, we have each other." Jinkx insisted, kissing Adore. "Come on, tell me about them."   
  
"It wasn't a very big pod, there were just five others in it." Adore began. "Mom, her name is Alyssa, she adopted me and other girls, my sisters. There was Lana, Shangela, Gia, and just before I was separated we found Violet. They're all lovely."   
  
"Tell me what they look like, please?" Jinkx was excited to know about Adore's family.   
  
"Mom has hair the colour of honey, and her tail is a rusty red. Lana, she has pink hair and the brightest green tail you can imagine. Shangie has darker skin than the rest of my sisters, and she has black hair and her tail is gold with a hint of green on the fins. Gia has black hair too, but when the light hits it right, it gleams. Her tail is snowy white and glitters."

"And Violet?"   
  
"I don't really remember Violet. Her tail is purple but that's all I can recall." Adore admitted. It was a long time ago. "She joined our little pod maybe two weeks before I got lost. This all happened eleven winters ago."   
  
"Eleven years? Adore, how old were you?"   
  
"Eight."   
  
Jinkx pulled Adore into a hug. "You poor thing." All alone for eleven years. Since she was a child. "We're gonna find them, I promise."   
  
"I believe you."   
  
~*~*~*~*~   
  
It was trickier in the ocean than it had been in the lagoon. They had to be careful where they rested, lest the current divide them. Hunting wasn't bad, but they learned to be quick, there were predators bigger than they were out here. Jinkx' bag started to wear out from the exposure to salt water, so she and Adore fashioned a new one from sealskin. They were somewhere north of where they started, but the colder water didn't phase them.   
  
And they kept traveling. They didn't know what they were looking for, exactly, or where they were going. There were no real signs a pod left behind when they traveled. But together, they were sure they could do anything. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 


	4. Chasing a Flower

Jinkx woke before Adore, it was just before sunset, when they best liked to travel. Adore was always up after her, she mused, kissing the sleeping girl. She would see if she couldn't find them something to eat.  
  
Jinkx had only been swimming a short time when she saw something peculiar. It couldn't be, could it?  
  
She zipped back to Adore and pulled her up. "C'mon, c'mon!"  
  
"Wha happen?" Adore yawned, following Jinkx lazily.  
  
"I swear, I saw another mermaid! C'mon, hurry up before she leaves!" Jinkx begged, and Adore woke all the way up.  
  
"You did?!" Adore grabbed Jinkx' hand. "Don't slow down on my account!" The two whipped through the water.  
  
"I think, oh! There! Over there!" Jinkx pointed and Adore's heart quickened. It was a mermaid's tail, a purple one. They swam faster.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Violet yawned, she was getting tired. She had been swimming for hours, but there was no sign of her mate anywhere. _"Ugh, Pearl! Where are you?"_ She sighed, her mate was always getting separated from her. They were both small, and with just the two of them it was hard to create a solid enough anchor so they wouldn't get pulled away. She sang out for Pearl every so often, but no luck yet.  
  
"I've never met a mermaid before, besides you." Violet heard a voice behind her. She turned.  
  
"Just say hi, like when you meet people." She could see two merfolk behind her, one with blindingly orange hair. The other one looked almost familiar.  
  
"Adore, we haven't seen a person in months." Violet's eyes widened.  
  
"Adore?" She swam towards the pair. It couldn't be, could it?  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"I think she noticed us, Dory." Jinkx said, as the purple mermaid shot towards them like a bullet.  
  
"Ya think?" Adore snarked, then she yelped as the mermaid tackled her into a hug. "Ow!"  
  
Violet spun with her arms around Adore. "Is it really you?!" She squealed. She looked over Adore's shoulder, gasping at the tear on her tail. "Adore! You're not dead!"  
  
"Will be if you don't let go." Adore wheezed, Violet releasing her death grip on the blue mermaid.  
  
"Sorry."  
  
Jinkx coughed awkwardly. "Um, are you Violet, then?"  
  
Violet turned, one eyebrow raised. "Yes, but how do you know that?"  
  
Adore finally caught her breath. "Vi, this is Jinkx. She's my mate. Jinkx, this, this is my little sister Violet."  
  
The ginger looked the girl over. She had long, jet black hair and pale skin, and her tail was a gradient from almost black where the scales began on her body to lavender at the tip of her tail. Her fins were lavender as well. She wore what seemed to be a bra made of sealskin.  
  
Violet sized up her sister's mate. She hadn't known Adore for long, but she was still her sister. Jinkx had hair like fire, and an emerald green tail, striped with thin vertical zigzag lines of bright green and dark green. Her fins were the same emerald colour with tinges of the darker green. She was wearing what looked like human clothes, and she had a bag. "You turned her, didn't you?" Violet asked, glancing at Adore.  
  
"I can answer for myself!" Jinkx complained, then blushed. "But uh, yes. She did."  
  
Adore hugged Jinkx. "And it was worth it."  
  
Violet laughed. "You're cute, you two. But Adore, what the hell happened to you? Mom thought you were dead!"  
  
"Where is mom? And our sisters?" Adore asked, peering around the area.  
  
Jinkx chuckled. "Darling, I think we would see them if they were here." She kissed Adore's cheek. "Besides, I think Violet deserves to know what happened."  
  
Adore nodded. "Fine. So, when I got pulled away by that wave, my tail tore on the reef. The wave threw me into a lagoon, and I sunk down to the sand because my tail hurt too much to swim. I must have cried myself out before the waves ended because by the time I heard you and mom and our sisters, I couldn't talk."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
_"Mommy!" Adore's voice was hoarse, she had been crying for hours and she could feel the waves continuing. "Momma, please! I'm scared!"_  
  
_Alyssa was not good under pressure, but she had to keep calm for her daughters. Her pod of girls, lost children of the sea._  
  
_~*~*~*~*~_  
  
_She had turned some of them, girls lost at sea after boats sank. Shangela and Gia were like that, poor things. Lana was hers by blood, and Adore was her friend's daughter, but the rest of their pod had been killed by hunters, leaving Alyssa to care for Adore and Lana alone._  
  
_So as a little pod of three, Alyssa raised her girls. They happened upon a shipwreck for the first time when the girls were four. There had been a human girl in the water, barely breathing._  
  
_"We gotta help her, mommy!" Lana had said, poking her head out of the water. "What's your name, huh?"_  
  
_"Sh-Shangela…" The human girl had chattered out, cold in the ocean water._  
  
_Adore hugged the human. "It's gonna be alright, Shangela!" She promised. She looked at her mother in concern. "Mommy, can you help her?"_  
  
_"Of course, baby girl." Alyssa ruffled Adore's hair. She cradled the human child in her arms. "I'm gonna make you feel better, okay?"_  
  
_It was the first time Lana or Adore had seen someone turned. Alyssa told them they couldn't just take humans, but that this was the only way to save this girl's life._  
  
_So their pod grew to four. A year later they came upon a similar scene, and Gia had been turned._  
  
_Violet was a unique case. They had found her after hearing a scream, and when they found the one calling, they found Violet, tail pinned under a rock. Her family had been caught under rocks in a sea quake, and she had been the only one to make it out. They adopted her too._  
  
_Alyssa had taught her girls about tail injuries, you avoid swimming until it heals. They had only just started traveling after Violet's tail healed when the powerful waves began._  
  
_~*~*~*~*~_  
  
_Alyssa had ushered her girls into a cave to escape the pull of the waves. "Okay, let me count all y'all, Violet, Lana, Gia, Shangie, and… where is Adore at?"_  
  
_Lana started crying. "The wave took her, didn't it?!"_  
  
_Alyssa hushed her child. "Now don't you worry, after the waves calm down we'll go find her after the waves."_  
  
_The pod waited for hours, and when the sea had settled they went looking for Adore._  
  
_Lana found the scrap of her tail. "Mommy! Mommy, it's Dory's tail!" She sobbed. Alyssa and the others caught up to her. The grim object truly was a piece of Adore's tail, the fin torn jaggedly and bloodied at the edges._  
  
_"Adore, baby girl are you here?" Alyssa called, swimming back and forth along the reef. Out loud sometimes, in her siren song others, she kept calling._  
  
_"Mom…" Adore croaked out from where she was on the other side, but she was almost inaudible. She wanted desperately to use her siren's song but she didn't know how to._  
  
_Alyssa spent hours looking, before accepting what must have happened. Lana was distraught, Gia and Shangie were angry, and Violet had keened loudly. They had buried the piece of fin, at Gia and Shangie's insistence. It was some kind of human ritual. And they had left, a pod of five._  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"I'm so sorry, Dory. If mom had known, you know she-" Violet was shushed by Adore.  
  
"I know, Violet. She wouldn't have left me, I know that." Adore hugged Violet, and Jinkx hugged both of them. "But Vi, where are mom and our sisters?"  
  
Violet shook her head. "Not sure. Split off from them two moons ago. Wanted to be alone with my mate for awhile." Violet looked at the two hopefully. "You haven't seen a mermaid with a pearly white tail and the palest blonde hair, have you?"  
  
Adore shook her head. Jinkx felt her heart ache for Violet. Adore had been a mess without her. "No, we haven't. We'll help you find her though, right Adore?"  
  
"Of course. Being apart from your mate is the worst fucking feeling." Adore confirmed.  
  
"What's her name?" Jinkx asked.  
  
"Pearl. My mate is Pearl." Violet declared proudly. "She's the most beautiful mermaid you’ll ever see. And she loves me!"  
  
Jinkx smiled at the girl. She was charming. "We'll find her. How did you get split up, Violet?"  
  
"We didn't find a good place to sleep last night, and the current pulled us apart. It happens a lot, the two of us are pretty small, and we can't always find a good place to sleep." Violet explained.  
  
Jinkx nodded. "So you're following the current?"  
  
"Yep. I'll find her. I always do." Violet stated.  
  
"Once we find her, should we travel together, Dory, Violet?" Jinkx asked.  
  
Adore shrugged. "I'm down, I guess. We'd be safer all together."  
  
Violet nodded. "We've been looking for Pearl's pod or mom's to join back up, it's hard with just two."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 


	5. The Lost Pearl

Pearl lashed her tail. She hated being pulled away from Violet. She turned a 180° and swam back the way she came. Violet had to be around somewhere.  _ "Violet!" _ She called in her siren song, trying to find her.    
  
She heard Violet humming in her head. She shot off in the direction of her mate.    
  
~*~*~*~*~   
  
"I heard Pearl!" Violet cheered. "C'mon, she's this way!"   
  
Adore and Jinkx followed the slight mermaid. Jinkx frowned. "I didn't hear anything?"   
  
Adore laughed. "That's her siren's song. Only your mate and others you truly love, like your family, can hear it. It's why only you could hear me sing on the beach that night." The teal haired woman thought a moment. "If you speak it while singing it others can hear it, but you learn to keep it in your head."   
  
Jinkx nodded. "It's hypnotic to hear, isn't it?"   
  
"It is. You've used yours on me, it's a powerful thing."   
  
~*~*~*~*~   
  
Pearl saw three merfolk approaching her. "Violet!" She cheered, zipping forward. Violet shot forward past her sister and her mate, and met Pearl for an embrace.    
  
"Pearly! Oh, I missed you." Violet cooed, kissing her mate's nose.    
  
Pearl giggled. "I missed you too. I'm tired, Vi. It's hard to keep getting split up." The pale mermaid sighed, nuzzling her mate.    
  
"Well, it'll be easier now. We have a pod now, a little one. Meet my sister, Adore, and her mate, Jinkx." Violet pulled Pearl towards the other pair.    
  
Adore smirked. "Hi, I'm not fucking dead, I don't feel like explaining it, but look, my tail is torn." She rapid fired at Pearl. Jinkx shoved her.    
  
"Hi, I'm Jinkx Monsoon. Adore is my mate, she turned me from human. Lovely to meet you!" Jinkx greeted the girl, smiling.    
  
Pearl blinked at both of them. "Um. I'm Pearl." She spoke drowsily, but smiled. "Violet says we're gonna be a pod? That's cool."   
  
"Yeah… uh, I've never been in a pod before. How's that work?" Jinkx laughed awkwardly. Adore patted her shoulder.    
  
"It's just a group of merfolk who travel together. It's easier to stay safe in a pod, we can take turns hunting, or take shifts resting so no one gets pulled away by the current." Adore explained.    
  
Violet nodded. "We can also settle down in a cave somewhere, if we want. We can stay put for awhile, gather our strength."   
  
Pearl looked over at her mate. "I think a cave would be good. We've been chasing each other through the currents for days. Is that okay with you two?"   
  
Adore and Jinkx both nodded. "Fuck yeah. We've been traveling for like, three moons? And before that we lived in a lagoon. This has been exhausting." Adore whined.    
  
Violet smiled. "I guess we're gonna have to find a cave then."    
  
~*~*~*~*~   
  
The four mermaids found a cave and shoved sand in to sleep on. They snuggled in and slept, Violet wrapped around Pearl, and Adore around Jinkx.    
  
Jinkx woke before any of the others. She smiled, she had a little family. She kissed Dory on the forehead. She left her bag in the cave and went hunting.    
  
~*~*~*~*~   
  
Violet woke before Pearl or Adore. She swam out of the cave. "Jinkx? You around?"   
  
"Yeah, over here." Jinkx called back. Violet swam up to the ginger.    
  
"Hey. Hunting?" Vi asked, feeling awkward.    
  
"Yeah. But I'm not very good at it yet. Adore is better." Jinkx admitted, chuckling.    
  
"I can teach you. Gotta get to know my new sister, right?" Violet said with a smirk, and Jinkx beamed.    
  
"Okay! What do you want to know?"   
  
"What's it like being a human?"   
  
"Well, my name is Virginia Monsoon…"   
  
~*~*~*~*~   
  
Adore woke up to no Jinkx. She looked around, Pearl was still asleep in the cave, but Violet was gone too. She yawned and swam outside. She heard laughter, and smiled.    
  
"I can't imagine, legs! What a weird concept." Violet giggled.    
  
"I'm telling you, they're pretty nice. I mean, I love this tail but legs aren't half bad!"   
  
"Ha! Half!" Violet snorted.    
  
"What are you two giggling about?" Adore swam over to the duo. "And has anyone found breakfast yet?" Jinkx blushed and Violet sighed. "That's a no."   
  
"We were gonna." Jinkx began.    
  
"And then we didn't." Violet finished.    
  
"And I'm gonna go find it now." Adore rolled her eyes at her sister and mate, wandering off to find something four mer could share.   
  
~*~*~*~*~   
  
Pearl yawned and her eyes fluttered open. She looked around, the cave was empty. "Damnit, always wake up alone." She groaned, and curled back up in the sand.    
  
~*~*~*~*~   
  
"Vi, we should help Dory. We do have four in our little pod, which is more than Adore and I are used to hunting." Jinkx told Violet, following after her mate.    
  
"Coming!" Violet followed after the green tailed mermaid.    
  
"Oh!" Jinkx gasped. Adore was fighting a large seal. Jinkx zipped behind it and clawed at its eyes. "Vi, come on!"   
  
Violet bit its tail hard. Jinkx smacked it in the side with her tail, and Adore was able to come at it with a rock.    
  
The seal went down, and the trio were all unhurt.    
  
"Goodness, is that what hunting is like in a group?" Jinkx gasped.    
  
"Yeah! Nice move, going for the eyes!" Violet cheered.    
  
Adore grinned. "Okay now how do we get this back to the cave?"   
  
~*~*~*~*~   
  
"Pearl! Wake up darling!" Pearl opened her eyes, then shot off the floor.    
  
"You three caught that?!" The other three mermaids were lugging a seal bigger than she was between them.   
  
Adore snorted. "Nah, we found it. Of course we caught it!"   
  
"Dumb question, sorry."   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 


	6. A Beautiful Mistake

The four lived in the cave for a few weeks, and Jinkx made fast friends with Violet. She could eventually hear Violet’s siren song in her mind, which was exciting to her.

But they grew restless, they still wanted to find the rest of the family. So the pod continued to wander the ocean, looking for Alyssa’s pod.

“How is our family doing, Vi?” Adore asked, next to her sister as they left the cave behind them.

“They’re fine! Let’s see, Lana is still a mommy’s girl, Shangela is a pretty fierce huntress now, really protective of our pod, and Gia has turned out to be very good at crafting things, she can weave material and bind spears really securely. It’s really amazing, way better than mom ever made. Uh, don’t tell mom.”

Adore snorted. “I remember mom’s skill level. It was zero.” The sisters laughed, and fell quiet for a bit. Adore looked over at Violet after a few minutes. “So, you and Pearl. Have you guys considered starting your own family?”

Violet blushed. “Pearl and I have been thinking about nesting, but we couldn’t do it by ourselves, we need a pod. You know how hard it was for mom, raising a brood alone, no pod to help.”

Adore nodded. There had been a lot of difficult times, but she was grateful for how hard Alyssa had worked to keep them safe. “I’m surprised mom never joined another pod.”

Violet shook her head. “We came across a few, over the years. But mom was so afraid to let us go, to lose another one of her babies, even to share us. She’s gotten better about it, but by the time she stopped being so clingy, we were all so close, we didn’t really want a bigger pod. We travelled for a bit with other pods here and there, but we kept to ourselves mostly.” She shot a glance at Adore. “So, what about you and Jinkx? Have you talked about brooding?”

Adore shook her head. She glanced back at Jinkx. Would she ever want a clutch? Her heart fluttered at the idea of raising a brood with her mate. “No, not yet. But…”

Pearl and Jinkx swam a bit behind their mates, a comfortable silence between them. They caught bits of the conversation but were mostly alone with their thoughts.

“Pearl?” Jinkx asked, a question occurring to her based on what Violet and Adore had been saying.

“What’s up?” The blonde tilted her head.

“How do two female merfolk have babies together?” She didn’t understand it.

“It’s not like how it works for humans. All merfolk lay eggs, but they only fertilize if they join with the egg of that mer’s mate. There are no unwanted children in the sea.” Pearl explained. “Haven’t you laid any eggs? You’ve been a mer for awhile now. They look like little bubbles, about the same colour as your scales usually.”

“Is that what those are? I didn’t bother to ask Adore, I figured it was some normal mermaid thing that doesn’t happen to humans. Beats having a period though.” Jinkx chuckled.

“Yeah. If you touch them to your mate’s, they join and start to grow a life.” Pearl sighed. “Violet and I want to, once we have a pod.”

“I do have one question though, what happens if you touch your egg with one that doesn’t belong to your mate?”

“They dissolve into the water.”

“Hm.” It didn’t make sense to her, but not much did anymore.

Pearl glanced up at Violet and Adore. She bit her lip, then turned to Jinkx. “Want to see something secret?” She whispered.

“Oh?”

“Vi and I, we discarded our eggs in the same place in the cave.” Pearl untangled one of the pearls from her hair. “One of mine and one of hers… this is our daughter.” Pearl offered the small item to Jinkx. Jinkx held it delicately. It looked a lot like a pearl, but when she looked closely it was different. It felt warm in her hand, and it was faintly purple. It also felt stronger than a pearl, solid in her palm. She carefully wove it back into Pearl’s hair, kissing it gently.

“It’s beautiful!” Jinkx sighed. “You have to tell Violet, Pearl. She deserves to know.”

Pearl shook her head. “She’ll be mad,” the blonde fretted.   
  
“No, Pearl, I think she’ll be thrilled. How long until… until it hatches?”

“About ten moons, and it’s only been about a week.”

“And this is the only one?”

Pearl nodded. “Yeah. I was about to drop my eggs when I saw Violet’s, but one slipped between my fingers and fused. I took the rest outside and came back for our baby.” Pearl lightly touched the egg, disguised as a pearl in her hair. “There are no unwanted children in the sea…” Pearl’s voice trailed off.

“But you’re afraid yours will be.” Jinkx finished. Pearl hugged the ginger, sniffling. “It’s okay, Pearly. Violet will understand.”

Violet glanced back, seeing her mate clinging to Adore’s. “Dory, should we check on them?”

Adore looked back as well. “I’m gonna have to say yes.”

The sisters slowed down, letting their mates catch up to them. Pearl was crying and Jinkx was soothing her. “Pearl, baby, are you okay?” Violet asked, stroking Pearl’s cheek.

Jinkx lightly pushed the pale mer towards her mate. “Tell her, Pearl. It’ll be okay.”

Pearl took a shaky breath. “Um, Vi, I have to tell you something. Please, don’t be mad.”

“I won’t be mad, darling.” Violet assured.

“We… have an egg.” Pearl freed the small sphere from her hair again and offered it to Violet. “It was an accident, while we were in the cave. But I couldn’t leave her there!” Pearl started crying again, as Violet picked up the lavender egg.

Violet felt her heart ache and soar all at once. “Pearl, sweetie, it’s okay!” She laughed, kissing her egg. “Our baby, why would I be mad?”

Pearl sniffled, a dopey grin working its way onto her face. “Because we weren’t ready? I dunno. I’m so happy you aren’t mad.”

Violet wove the egg into her long black hair. “We have a pod now, and we’ll find my family, or yours. We’ll be ready by the time she hatches.” Violet hugged her mate tightly. “She will be loved. And yeah, we should be more careful in the future so we know when we’re going to be nesting, but this egg is a blessing.”

Adore and Jinkx were both trying not to cry. “It’s so sweet!” Adore said, hugging her mate.

“I know!” Jinkx blubbered, weeping.


End file.
